without air tanks. He’s quite a little persuader, your Sam.’
‘What…what did he say?’ Fern said uneasily.
‘Only that if I didn’t admit him and he happened to die in the night he’d hold me personally responsible. When I pointed out if he died maybe he wouldn’t be in a position to hold anyone responsible, he appointed you surrogate to sue me for the shirt off my back and see my medical degrees torn into little pieces and thrown-preferably with me attached-off the Arnablower Rocks.’
‘He didn’t really say that?’ Fern stared up at Quinn and, despite her anger, she felt the corners of her mouth twitch.
‘He did,’ Quinn assured her. ‘And any man who can tell me all that while still clutching a kidney bowl and occasionally retching, deserves to be admitted-or at least deserves to pay the exorbitant charges I’ll no doubt put to his account. Now-would you like to see your aunt, Dr Rycroft?’
Her aunt…
Fern’s anger faded. ‘Yes…Oh, yes, please.’
This man had saved her aunt’s life. No matter what else he’d done…
She managed a smile at this strange, unknown doctor. ‘Dr Gallagher, I really am very sorry…and very grateful…’
‘There’s no need for that.’ Like Fern’s anger, Quinn’s laughter seemed also to have gone. He stared down at the green-eyed girl before him for a long, long moment and the magnetism Fern had felt in church flooded back in force.
Quinn’s eyes widened-as though he felt the force as strongly as Fern but he wasn’t sure whether it was a force for good or evil. A force to be reckoned with-somehow.
‘I would have done the same for anyone’s fiance,’ he said slowly, his eyes still holding hers. ‘If he had a law degree and a threatening manner…’
‘I mean…I mean what you’ve done for my aunt.’
The smile slowly returned, still wary.
‘Well, I would have especially done the same for your aunt,’ he said softly. ‘I’m just grateful we were able to get her back. Your aunt and uncle are two very special people, Dr Rycroft.’
‘I…I know.’
‘So why don’t you visit them?’
‘I do.’ Fern’s voice tightened at the old accusations. ‘I’m here now.’
‘But it’s been twelve months since you were here last. You’re all they’ve got, Dr Rycroft. The whole island tells me how wonderful you are but you’re intent on putting as much distance between you and the island as possible.’
‘That’s my business, Dr Gallagher. Not yours.’
‘But your aunt’s health is my concern,’ Quinn said harshly. He dug his hands deep into his pockets and turned to stride down the corridor, leaving Fern to follow as best she might. He kept talking, assuming that she’d scuttle along behind and to her fury Fern found herself doing just that. Scuttling.
‘My aunt’s health…’
‘Is suffering because she’s missing you.’
‘I can’t come home just because…’ Fern walked after the white-coated doctor but his strides were so long that she was forced to a run.
‘Just because people need you?’ Quinn shrugged. ‘Of course you can’t. How stupid of me to suggest such a crazy idea. Now let’s see how Maud’s been getting on without you-again.’
Maud was asleep. Her tiny body seemed immensely vulnerable on the large hospital bed. Fern’s aunt was robed in a hospital gown and Fern made a silent vow to go straight home and bring back a pretty nightie. One of her own honeymoon nighties, she decided. In the hospital gown her aunt looked fragile-almost…
Almost dead.
Not the Aunt Maud Fern knew and loved. She couldn’t die. Not Maud, too…
How could she have stayed away for so long? she thought harshly. She should have come back before this.
And by marrying Sam…By marrying Sam she’d exposed her aunt to Lizzy’s vindictiveness and this dreadful hurt.
There was a pale-faced slip of a girl sitting on a chair beside Aunt Maud-maybe a little younger than Fern, painfully thin with soft, mousy brown hair and brown eyes that were too large for her face. A nurse, Fern thought, but the girl was dressed casually in clean jeans and T-shirt. She rose as Quinn ushered Fern in and smiled at them both.
‘She’s fine,’ the girl said quickly, noting the anxiety in Fern’s eyes. ‘Her obs are steady and she seems to be sleeping soundly.’
‘Thanks, Jess.’ Quinn motioned to Fern. ‘Jess, this is Maud’s niece, the island’s wonderful Dr Fern Rycroft we’ve heard so much about. Fern, this is Jessie. Jess is the island vet but I called her in to help with my humans tonight. She hauls me out of bed often enough to help with her four-legged patients.’
Fern stared. ‘I didn’t know the island had a vet.’
Like human medicine, animal medicine was underserviced to the point of non-existence on the island.
‘I’ve been here for six months.’ Jessie smiled shyly. ‘It was a pleasure helping tonight. Your aunt’s a lovely lady, Fern. Do you want me to stay, Quinn?’
‘I think we’ll be right now, thanks, Jess. I’ll connect the monitors through to the office and I’ll do hourly obs.’
‘Fine.’ The vet crossed to the door. ‘Then, if you’ll excuse me…I have three babies to feed.’
Three babies…Fern shook her head in bewilderment but Jess was already gone.
The island medical service had changed indeed since Fern had last been here. With a qualified vet and doctor it was almost overserviced.
Well, at least the island no longer needed her.
Funny how that thought was starting to give her no pleasure at all.
‘Your uncle’s gone home to sleep,’ Quinn was saying softly. He was watching Fern over the bed dividing them. ‘You can, too, if you like. I’ll take good care of her, Dr Rycroft.’
Fern swallowed. She was sure that he would. If any man could do it, Quinn Gallagher was the man to keep her aunt alive.
She looked down at the bed again and her heart lurched. Sure, Quinn Gallagher would connect the monitors through to his office and check every so often but…
But if her aunt was in a city hospital she’d be in Intensive Care with a nurse awake and watchful at every moment.
After all Maud had done for her; it was the least Fern could do.
‘I’ll go home and see my uncle and come back,’ she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. ‘The spare bed here is empty. If it’s OK with you…’
He didn’t try to dissuade her.
‘That’s fine. But I’ll keep the monitors going just the same. If you sleep…’
‘I won’t sleep,’ Fern said rigidly. ‘After the events of today, even if my aunt was fine, I still wouldn’t sleep.’
She was right there.
It took Fern less than half an hour to drive home, reassure her worried uncle and be back at Quinn Gallagher’s transformed mansion-cum-hospital. Quinn greeted her briefly when she returned but in the next ward Frank Reid had started vomiting again and he had his hands full.
He didn’t need her.
‘Frank’s blood sugars are settling,’ he told her. ‘Once I can stop the retching he should be OK. I’ve given him another dose of metoclopramide and it should take effect soon. If you watch your aunt so I don’t have to check the monitors…’
It had been the right thing to do to return, Fern thought thankfully, as she pushed the room’s second bed close to her aunt’s and crept under the covers. It was a warm enough night but the events of the day were taking their toll. She felt shivery and in need of the comfort of the blankets.
She didn’t undress. It seemed wrong to don nightclothes when she wasn’t ill-or even very tired. She was just
